Nike, Inc. has ended a program that gave employees an extra week off each year to promote mental health and wellness. Nike’s annual “Wellness Week,” which began in 2021, has been held each August.
Chief People Officer Treasure Heinle told staff this week that the program was instituted due to pressures faced during the pandemic, but the company now faces a “pivotal moment” that requires changes in how employees approach their work, according to a replay of the meeting reviewed by Bloomberg News.
“Today is very different than a few years ago,” Heinle said. “And that’s why we’re making this change.
“It’s a moment that will require continued shifts from all of us in how we work, how we collaborate, and how we operate as a team,” Heinle said in the meeting, which included staff from both corporate and stores. “We need to continue to show up and deliver with a sharp focus so we can get back to winning.”
In 2021, Nike became one of many employers, including Spotify, LinkedIn, Bumble, and Hootsuite, to introduce a wellness week. The measure was designed to relieve staff amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a combination of lockdowns, social isolation and other stressors leading to a surge in mental health issues.
Elliott Hill, who was appointed Nike’s CEO in September 2024, has been restructuring management and teams throughout the company and has conducted several rounds of layoffs as part of the company’s turnaround efforts.
Nike expects sales to decline in the low-single-digits in the current fiscal second quarter, ended September 30.
Image courtesy Nike
